Grand Designs

Zhang Yuan stayed in Linhe County Town for three days.

During those three days, he mainly accompanied his mother as she adapted to life in the city and familiarized herself with the area around Fishmonger Alley.

He also bought her a batch of materials for making cloth shoes.

Zhang's Mother was not someone who could sit still.

On the second day after moving into their new home, she told Zhang Yuan that she wanted to find some work to do and help support the household.

She wanted to keep making straw sandals.

Zhang Yuan found it both funny and helpless.

But he completely understood what his mother was thinking.

Making straw sandals here was clearly unsuitable. The straw sandals Zhang's Mother had made back in the village were sold at markets outside the county town for a meager profit.

People in the city wore cloth shoes and leather boots.

Making cloth shoes was the most suitable choice.

They had bought a house, settled down, and she had resumed work she knew well. Only then did Zhang's Mother's heart finally truly settle.

Then Zhang Yuan headed for Thousand Peak Mountain once again.

It could not be helped. He had spent every last bit of his savings and still owed a mountain of debt.

If he did not repay the loan from the brokerage soon, then once the principal and interest exceeded the value of the house, the brokerage would take away the residence he had just bought.

Zhang Yuan also needed more Source Essence to speed up the growth of his host bodies.

Moreover, one nest chamber in the Divine Nest was still empty. Finding a third host body would undoubtedly raise his strength by a great deal.

So lying flat was simply not an option!

Once inside the deep mountains, Zhang Yuan found the Crow Spirit with practiced ease and returned to the cliff where he had hunted Rock Sheep before.

Crow Spirit-approved selections were as reliable as ever.

At a glance, Zhang Yuan spotted the herd of Rock Sheep climbing along the cliff face.

Without wasting words, he unleashed the Stone Throwing Divine Skill again, smashing two large Rock Sheep down with five stones in one breath!

After dragging down his spoils, Zhang Yuan slit open their bellies as usual and offered their organs to the Crow Spirit.

Then Zhang Yuan returned to the cliff face and began a carpet search.

This stretch of precipitous cliff was enormous, its mountains high and its terrain riddled with jagged rocks and treacherous formations.

Since he had found one old Rock Ginseng here, he could very well find a second, a third...

Would a few dozen taels of silver in debt even count as a problem then?

With his grand money-making plan at stake, Zhang Yuan searched with exceptional care, overlooking no crevice suitable for growing Rock Ginseng.

As the saying went, heaven did not disappoint those who worked hard.

After searching the steep cliff face for half an hour, he found a Rock Ginseng that was around twenty years old!

And there was no Black Horned Viper guarding it. It had likely gone out to hunt, or perhaps had been scared away.

That was at least twenty taels of silver in hand!

Zhang Yuan was delighted, and his drive only grew stronger.

"Caw, caw!"

Just as he dug up another Rock Ginseng that was a little over ten years old, the Crow Spirit below suddenly called out twice.

Its cries carried a warning.

Zhang Yuan's heart jolted, and he hurried back down to the foot of the cliff.

The Crow Spirit said nothing. It merely flicked a wing and tossed a Black Feather to him.

Zhang Yuan understood immediately.

The Crow Spirit was reminding him to know when to stop, not to drain the pond dry to catch all the fish!

Zhang Yuan bowed to the Crow Spirit. "Thank you, Crow Brother."

Then he tied up the Rock Sheep, slung them over his shoulder, and followed the Black Feather out of the mountains.

After the Black Feather vanished, Zhang Yuan immediately sacrificed the two eviscerated Rock Sheep.

He gained 1.7 points of Source Essence.

Without the slightest hesitation, he poured all the Source Essence into the second nest chamber and fed it to the Jade Mantis!

Touching the two Rock Ginseng roots hidden against his chest, Zhang Yuan checked the sky again.

It was still early.

After a brief thought, he headed toward Chen Family Village.

For the time being, Zhang Yuan had no intention of abandoning his home in the village.

Even if he did not live there normally, it was still an excellent foothold for hunting in the mountains.

The county town was very far from Thousand Peak Mountain.

He had set out before dawn that morning, leaving as soon as the city gates opened. By the time he entered the mountains and reached the Crow Spirit's territory, he had walked nearly two hours.

Chen Family Village was much closer by comparison.

This way, if he returned late, he would not need to risk rushing back to the county town.

Besides, the county town's gates closed at night, and no one was allowed in or out.

As for his mother's safety, Zhang Yuan was not worried.

Security in the county town was decent, and he had left Da Hu behind to guard the house and keep her company. Ordinary petty thieves would not gain the slightest advantage before this mountain-guarding dog!

Three days later, everything in his old home was as usual.

Only, when a neighboring auntie saw Zhang Yuan, she asked in surprise, "Yuan Baby, you're back?"

Zhang Yuan smiled. "Yes."

The auntie glanced at the cold, deserted Zhang Family home, then asked, "Where's your mother?"

Zhang Yuan said gloomily, "My mother's health isn't good. The journey exhausted her, and she fell ill, so she can only stay with relatives for a while. She'll come back once she's recovered."

"So that's what happened."

The auntie's face filled with sympathy. "Then why aren't you over there keeping your mother company?"

"I need to earn money!"

Zhang Yuan gave a bitter smile. "I can't just eat and drink at our relatives' house for nothing. I plan to come back, hunt more game, and earn some silver for my mother's medicine."

"Oh my!"

The auntie slapped her thigh. "Yuan Baby, you don't know yet?"

"Chen Yuanwai announced the day before yesterday that he was recruiting able-bodied villagers to build a road. He'd provide money and grain, and the pay was very good!"

Zhang Yuan was surprised. "Build a road? What road?"

"A road into the mountains!"

The neighboring auntie pointed toward Thousand Peak Mountain and said excitedly, "They say they'll build a mountain road twenty or thirty li long. Anyone willing to join will get one jin of white rice and fifty copper coins every day, plus breakfast and dinner!"

Her eyes shone. "And Master Chen said that anyone who works well will be exempt from next year's corvée!"

But Zhang Yuan felt something was off. "Building a road into the mountains? Aren't they afraid of the strange things in there?"

Other than a few medicinal herb gatherers and hunters with courage beyond the sky, few people ordinarily dared venture deep into Thousand Peak Mountain.

Everyone knew there were strange things in the mountains. Once you ran into one, whether you lived or died was anyone's guess.

Over the centuries, quite a few Chen Family Village villagers had entered the mountains, never to be seen dead or alive again.

If Zhang Yuan had not been driven to desperation, he would not have risked entering the mountains to hunt either.

The fact that he had survived and even encountered the Crow Spirit was purely an explosion of good fortune!

Even the village children knew the mountains were a forbidden land. How could the villagers possibly be lured by Chen Yuanwai's promise of money and grain?

Money and food were all well and good, but you needed to be alive to enjoy them!

The auntie laughed. "Master Chen said he has already invited the Linhe City God Statue. When the time comes, strange things will flee, evil spirits will not come near, and it will be perfectly safe!"

The Linhe City God Statue!

Zhang Yuan could scarcely believe his ears.

What ability did this Chen Yuanwai possess, to actually invite a City God Statue to stand guard?

If he was so capable, why had he moved from the county town to Chen Family Village?

And what was his purpose in building a mountain road?

The more Zhang Yuan thought about it, the more alarmed he became.

He suddenly remembered the Treasure Map pressed against his chest—could this be connected to the treasure in Thousand Peak Mountain?

The neighboring auntie added, "Yuan Baby, if you want to join, hurry to the Chen Family and register. Otherwise, once the spots are filled, it will be hard to get in!"

Zhang Yuan steadied himself and smiled. "I understand. Thank you, Auntie."

Whether Chen Yuanwai was after the mountain treasure or not, he was surely plotting something enormous.

His earlier premonition had been right!